


Don't Lose Your Heart

by AwokenMonster



Category: Are You The One? (Season 8), Are you the one?
Genre: Bitter!Max, Don't Lose Your Heart by Dream On Dreamer, Entitled Fans, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Semi-established relationship, Songfic, Supportive!Justin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 14:44:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20448827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwokenMonster/pseuds/AwokenMonster
Summary: "Are you lost somehow drowning in the crowd? Are you on your own again? Right back at the start. Kid, don't lose your heart."orMax doesn't know how much more bullshit he can take.Max/JustinRated T for the show's nature





	Don't Lose Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Monster: Hi guys! Here we go. I'm upset and pissed off. Not because of what Max said. But because this has to be the most ashamed I've ever been when it comes to entitled fans. How fucking dare they assume Max and Justin broke up just because Max wants individuality? You know what I think happened? Max saw that Jax fans only loved him when he was with Justin and knows they're a no-match so he's trying to be loved before Jax gets their no-match stamp and he gets shit on.  
How disrespectful can they be that they even assume Justin cheated on Max to make him so mad? In my opinion, Max is only trying to be his own person the way Justin has been doing all along and everyone's giving him shit for it while they're praising Justin for it. Fuck those entitled fans and I'm horribly embarrassed to be a part of this fandom with these entitled fans. I'm looking at every single one of those idiots commenting on Max' Twitter like he's a tool to serve them.  
I ship Jax too, that's why I write these fics, but I respect them to do whatever they want. I'm used to shipping people who aren't even dating for real so no matter what happens, I'll still ship them but that's okay because I'm not gonna scream at them to get back together on social media like a caveman. I hope the entitled fans on Reddit and Twitter are all very pleased with themselves because they might've just ruined our last chance at seeing some Max and Justin adorableness by chasing Max away like that. Enjoy!
> 
> This wasn't supposed to be a songfic at first but Don't Lose Your Heart by Dream On Dreamer was waaaaay too good of a fit not to make it a songfic. I literally heard this song for the first time yesterday.

_Are you lost somehow, drowning in the crowd?_

“Busy evening last night”, Justin stated more than he asked. He didn’t really know what else to say. He’d been too busy last night to notice, but he’d seen it all when he awoke first thing in the morning. It wasn’t pretty.

Max looked tired, like he hadn’t slept much. Guess he’d been determined to have a lit night and forget all about it a little too much.

_Are you on your own again?_

“You saw”, Max muttered. He rested his head in his hands, laying on his stomach on the bed. Justin had called him unexpectedly. He’d been half asleep when he picked up, hair a bird’s nest and bags under his eyes from a lack of sleep. He’d been under a lot of pressure and he knew he should’ve just ignored it, but he had a habit of backing himself into a corner.

_Right back at the start. Kid, don’t lose your heart_.

“I couldn’t really miss it”, Justin shrugged. “You put up quite a fight. Now everyone thinks I broke up with you or cheated on you to cause this shitstorm.”

“Oh woe is you”, Max bit, more snarky than he intended. He instantly pouted. “Sorry. It’s so unfair how people love it when you do an all-Justin live, but hate it when I do. It just feels so unfair how much people love you on your own and hate me on my own. That’s the only reason you were targeted in the process.”

Justin nodded. “It’s okay. I didn’t feel attacked.”

Max sighed. “Well everyone made me think you felt attacked just because they felt attacked on your behalf.”

_Until you’re where you want to be._

“Babe, you have backed yourself into a corner by taking on the Jax Stans like that. I know you want to be loved”, Justin’s face held nothing but sympathy. Sympathy, not pity because he knew Max and he knew just how strong Max was if he got an idea in his head. He had a strong will, a mind of his own. A petty side that consumed him sometimes.

_Down at the cold steps, where no light exists. That’s where you want to be, feeling sick._

“Jax is about to be a no-match. I saw how people were talking about how I’m not a great person. For you or for anyone in the house. I saw how all Jax Stans would pick your side, no matter what happens, if we’re not a match. Am I so wrong for wanting to show everyone I’m a good person without Jax too?” Max wondered. “You get praised. I get shit on.”

_You find your hopes and your abandoned dreams._

“You care too much”, Justin said. “You care so much of what they think of you that you’re holding on too tightly. The more you try to show them you’re a good person, the more they think you’re not. Take a deep breath, remember who you are and let go of this argument.”

“I can’t go back now”, Max shifted. “I have no support left.”

_That’s where you find your purpose._

“You have my support. Even if I’m miles away”, Justin promised. “You know I’ll always love you.”

Max’ lips formed a smile, but his eyes didn’t follow. Justin could tell despite his tough act, that the pressure finally broke him.

_Sometimes I take another breath._

“You know I’d repeat the entire 10 weeks in Hawaii every single time. What we have, what we had, is beautiful. We didn’t want to taint it by making it into a long-distance relationship, but you shouldn’t let others taint it either”, Justin said. He loved Max. Of course, he loved Max and he’d always feel love for Max, but the distance wasn’t ideal. They agreed on that as soon as they got back. They’d cherish every second together, sure, but the distance would be too much for anyone.

_Another step to embrace what I have._

“I love what we have, too”, Max mused. “I’ve been drowning in everyone telling me I was throwing shade at you, in everyone saying we broke up. I don’t know what’s real and what’s a fan theory at this point anymore.”

Justin hated to see Max like this. He looked like such a mess, smile far out of reach.

“It’s okay. I’m here for you, no matter what’s been said. You know that”, Justin whispered. Max finally looked into the camera, like he was staring right back at Justin.

_Then I stare at you, staring back. And I know that I’m not dead._

“Thanks. I know I would’ve gone back online to shoot myself in the foot if we hadn’t talked first”, Max admitted.

Justin wished he could be where Max was right now. Not to help him fight his demons, but to offer an occasional supportive squeeze in his hand, maybe tell him when it was a bad idea to respond to something. Though he understood that this was important to Max and something he didn’t want to keep quiet about.

_It takes a voice to make a change_

Even if it made everyone think Jax was dead. Max didn’t want to be the needy guy everyone portrayed him as on the show. He didn’t want to look like that guy who needed Justin to save him from himself and from the house. He wanted to break free from that character and be Max instead of Max from ‘Max and Justin’.

_It takes courage to not be the same_

“I wish I could do more than just support you”, Justin said but Max shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal. I just bit myself in my ass a little bit by going about it the wrong way. I could’ve tried harder to make it seem less like I was trying to kill the Jax hype. But I don’t regret a single thing I’ve said. I didn’t attack you. They made it seem like I did.”

_If the world is silenced today, I make sure to scream my name._

“I know all that”, Justin assured him.

“But you called me. I bet you didn’t do that just to hear me go on about this”, Max said, seemingly shaking off the initial sorrow to build up some walls to appear strong. Justin hated it when Max did that.

“I just wanted to check up on you. On us”, Justin explained.

_Take it in and let it burn._

“I’m fine”, Max said. “I’m good. I’ve forgotten all about it by now.”

An obvious lie, but Justin knew better than to call him out about it. Instead he smiled. “Obviously, but I’m here if you wanna talk. I think at least half the cast has your back.”

“Thanks.”

With that, they ended the call. Max did feel better after talking to Justin, but as soon as Justin’s face vanished off his screen, he felt like he’d been holding his breath and finally got to exhale the façade of being “over it”.

_Are you lost somehow, drowning in the crowd? Are you on your own again?_

He wasn’t okay and he wasn’t done. He had so much left he wanted to say to everyone who felt entitled to hear about Jax instead. Max loved Justin and Justin loved Max, but the fans were putting a distance between them by pressuring him so much. He felt like he was slipping away, losing his heart, in a quest to prove himself to a faceless mass of people. Who were they to claim to know what was best for Justin and that it wasn’t Max? He’d been defending their relationship from the start, only to find out those who didn’t like their relationship, just didn’t like Max.

_Right back at the start. Kid, don’t lose your heart_.

Who were they to not like Max? Did they know him? No. Did they try to get to know him? No. Was he wrong for wanting to show people who he was? No! Especially not since Jax was about to be a no-match! Maybe it was a shitty timing, maybe it was the wrong way to go about it but when you’re passionate about something, you don’t always _think_ before you _act_.

_Until you’re where you want to be._

Max rolled over on his bed. He didn’t want to leave it today. Today was such a chore and as much as he felt the need to slip back into a tough persona and get up, claim it did him absolutely nothing, it did him everything.

_Don’t lose your heart. There are pains in life. It won’t be easy_.

The fact everyone saw him as someone who needed Justin to protect him from the world, made him want to put on a mask that showed them all he was tougher on his own. It made him back away from Justin in a way he never wanted. It made him think that what some people said on social media about Justin, was true rather than what Justin told him.

_Don’t lose your heart. Part of being accepted. Is to accept yourself._

He had wreaked havoc in an attempt to make himself understood, but it was exactly like Justin said. The harder he tried to make himself understood, the lesser they understood him. He had to stop caring so much. Let it go. Stop trying to explain himself. He didn’t owe them anything.

_Don’t lose your heart. It’s the pulse that beats and your voice that speaks._

He didn’t want to reply to anyone. He didn’t even want to talk about it anymore because the more he said, the worse it got.

_Don’t lose your heart. If you’re willing to change, willing to fight. Promise me._

He felt like he lost his heart in the process. He lost his fight, lost his interest in the fandom. He couldn’t wait for the show to be over so he could retreat and reconsider everything.

_Remind yourself, you’re breathing_.

He couldn’t wait to vanish from the public eye of AYTO and be at ease. No more stupid questions, no more bad implications. No more “They broke up” because Max didn’t breathe in Justin’s direction. No more “Justin cheated” just because Max complained it was unfair to hate him but love Justin as a Jax fan.

_Remind yourself that you are bleeding_.

His phone buzzed and he turned over to look at it. There were several text messages.

_Basit_

You do you, Max <3 _8:14am_

_Amber_

You know I always have your back, betch :* _8:13am_

_Paige_

I love you and Justin equally (not really, you’re my fave, shhh) _8:15am_

_Justin_

I know you’re overthinking right now – because _8:16am_

I know you babe. I love you for you, not because

you’re with me.

_Are you lost somehow, drowning in the crowd? Are you on your own again?_

Max smiled at the messages and remembered that it didn’t matter what people online would think or say about him and his relationship.

_Right back at the start. Kid, don’t lose your heart_.

The only thing that ever mattered, was how he felt about himself and his relationship. What he’d been through and how he would continue to grow as a person. Whether that was with Justin or not. He loved Justin and Justin loved him. Even if the distance was too much now, they may grow into something beautiful or not. Who were those strangers online to drag him and his amazing relationship through the dirt? Exactly, no one.

_Until you’re where you want to be_.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel.
> 
> I don't have a Twitter or IG so there's no way for me to show my support for Max and Justin as people AND as a couple besides writing a fic they'll never find to try and capture what I think. I think it's obvious that Justin's role in this fic was the voice of some of us in the fandom.
> 
> I know not everyone in the fandom has been riding Max' ass, but the few who did, have ruined it for all of us.
> 
> On a more positive note; Max is definitely saved in memory as one of those hot guys (how dare they say he's got a dad bod, are they blind? He's gorgeousss) with THE Smile. Others saved in my memory like that are Shayne Topp, Matt Walst, Danny Murillo and some dude from my uni (don't tell my boyfriend). I don't know why but it's a type of smile that makes me weak. Hope Max is still smiling.


End file.
